Quoting GLAGAZ (Reply 2):the NCL service has been ticking along nicely

I don't know what the situation is on the ground for a 777 but it's not that surprising that NCL is turning into a money maker for EK. NCL has a catchment area big enough to generate serious traffic - and what are the alternatives? Even in its present chaotic state, transiting at DXB causes less blood pressure than at LHR. I flew HKG-NCL with EK last month and it was quite an improvement on KL via AMS (awful cabin for a 13hr flight) or BA via LHR (the 'H' stands for Hell, not sure about the 'L' and 'R').

However, if it does go 777 and if EK persist in cramming in 10 abreast in Y then I might not be so keen on the idea.

Quote:He said: “The plan would be to introduce a 777 service in around a year’s time so that will increase capacity and then, another year down the track, to introduce more flights per day.

If EK can manage a daily 777 to NCL or even a double daily, why can't it just start a CPH, OSL and/or ARN flight? I think many passengers from there would be willing to fly via DXB to BKK or Australia. Even SK and DY are flying/going-to-fly those routes. Surely, EK can succeed with the sheer number of connecting destinations.

EK have already sent the 777 to NCL on occasions as a replacement aircraft to the A330.
The EK flights are hit and miss when it comes to Y. My mate is a dispatcher up there and he made me aware that sometimes theres a very low load factor in Y whereas other times its full. I know it all depends on where people are connecting onwards to and EK's timetable. He did state though that J is pretty much full all of the time.

It would be good to see a daily 777 service to NCL. 3years ago no one would have ever thought that EK would be serving NCL never mind with a 777.

One rumour that I did hear though is that EK are to start a NCL-NYC service. They would have to base an aircraft at NCL to do this but it would be an add-on from the DXB-NCL service. I dont know if they could make a 777 work on the NCL-NYC route though

I guess it's the great advantage of (a) Dubai's location and (b) Emirates' fleet composition. You can use smaller aircraft (like the A332) to open a route and then, go to 772 and 773; moreover the small increments in size between the various aircraft types (particularly when you consider that some are 2 and others, 3 class, means that the capacity increases can be very measured).

Compare that to QF, for example, where you just have 744s and (a) it's too big for most markets and (b) any "incremental" increase in frequency is of the order of about 350-400 seats. QF bleats about the increased capacity of M/E airlines down under, but it always had the option of adding 777s and going into smaller markets, but never took it. Emirates, on the other hand, has taken the opportunity to expand into smaller, relatively "off the beaten track" destinations like DUS, GLA and NCL and can do this a lot more over the coming years.

Quoting Albird87 (Reply 7):Also if they can make NCL work, why dont they fly to EDI!!

There are many theories on this, ranging from:

1. Runway too short. Clearly a nonsense as NCL's runway is shorter.
2. Terminal not up for the job. Clearly a nonsense as an Air France 773 was catered for with a terminal stand/gate just the other week.
3. No demand. An interesting theory but Edinburgh is not only the most visited UK destination after London but is a major financial/banking/business centre. It is also a very affluent city, with 4 milion pax easily within reach of it. I believe it is also the UK's busiest airport with no service to the Middle East.

Another interesting point is that Australian/New Zealand citizens are among the largest 'settlers' to the Edinburgh area, and the connecting traffic alone would surely be worth EK's while.

EDI is surely a must for EK over the next few years. Qatar or Etihad will almost certainly beat them to it if EK dither over EDI for much longer. EDI pax do not like being told to go to either GLA or NCL for flights - neither option is terribly convenient, and pax will almost always choose EDI departures via CDG, AMS or FRA over having to make a surface journey to another UK airport.

EK is a major airline which wants to carve a major presence for itself in the world market. I imagine they will not ignore EDI forever.

Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 6):EK have already sent the 777 to NCL on occasions as a replacement aircraft to the A330.

Oh I didn't know that. Wish I was still around to see them coming in! I live right on the approach to 25 so that would be a magnificent sight! The times I have returned for a weekend or two for a visit, I love watching the beautiful A330 on final.

Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 6):One rumour that I did hear though is that EK are to start a NCL-NYC service

As with CO as well. I was kind of glad that AA cancelled their intended service here. I don't think they would have done a good enough job with it. I'm glad they passed the opportunity on to carriers like CO and possibly EK to make the service great.

Gary

The strength of the turbulence is directly proportional to the temperature of your coffee

Quoting Gkyip (Reply 10):As with CO as well. I was kind of glad that AA cancelled their intended service here. I don't think they would have done a good enough job with it. I'm glad they passed the opportunity on to carriers like CO and possibly EK to make the service great.

Yeah, just a shame that 2 years on, nobody has even hinted at starting NYC!

The next UK destination is rumored to be BRS to cover the south west area. Lots of talk about BRS!

Before they announced GLA, EDI was very much in the picture.....

The only "small" issue is EDI is only 40miles from GLA, but I'm also very much aware that most people that live in EDI hate the thought of going to GLA.

EDI will get a middle east destination soon, its just a matter of who as both QR & EY are rumoured to be interested in EDI.

It surprises a lot of people when EK opt for secondary UK airports over bigger european cities with a EK service (AMS, BRU, CPH, DUB etc etc) but EK has a lot of transfer traffic from the UK and some very high yield traffice too..

Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 6):He did state though that J is pretty much full all of the time.

Then EK can tolerate the high fluctuations in Y! But it confuses me as to why they would upgauge? I actually see some sense going to two flights be day to stimulate traffic...

Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 6):
One rumour that I did hear though is that EK are to start a NCL-NYC service. They would have to base an aircraft at NCL to do this but it would be an add-on from the DXB-NCL service. I dont know if they could make a 777 work on the NCL-NYC route though

EK hasn't done well on pass through service to NYC. Would they really try again?

Quoting Damian (Reply 9):EDI is surely a must for EK over the next few years.

The lack of flights must be due to EK's shortage of aircraft. I'm serious!

I see where EK can expand to their West. But on the East side... they have a very slow growth in Australia (due to the bilateral) and growth to India is going to slow (again, due to hitting the allowed flights under the bilateral).

Emirates has just announced more new A380 flights: New York will start in September as planned, BUT may not be the first A380 route! It is apparently looking at other options. LHR follows on 1st Dec and SYD/AKL on the 1st Feb '09.

As to what route might be served before JFK ... BKK/HKG, BOM, CMB? We'll see; you never know, could be Newcastle, mon!

Tim Clark has said repeatedly that lack of aircraft is the limiting factor for EK's growth, so I could well understand that planned routes like EDI (and DUB!) would have to wait for the arrival of new aircraft; quite a few new 77Ws coming this year ...

EK seem to have this way of making these routes work, where almost any other airline would struggle to fly such a route and fill the planes...

BHX is another similar success story, where the route is flown twice daily to DXB and they manage to fill a 777-300, as well as a 777-200/A330-200 that operates the second rotaion.

Now NCL has long haul flights east bound, they should focus on seeing if they can attact an airline to fly west bound to a major US airline hub to open up connections to North America. CO would be a prime candidate for operating such a route!

It was mentioned above that EK are rumoured at flying NCL-JFK, I would be surprised if they were to launch such a service. But they have previously operated Hamburg to New York, but I think I read on here this route was being cut or has already been done do.

Quoting EmiratesUK (Reply 13):It surprises a lot of people when EK opt for secondary UK airports over bigger european cities with a EK service (AMS, BRU, CPH, DUB etc etc) but EK has a lot of transfer traffic from the UK and some very high yield traffice too.

Of course with such a strong presence comes brand recognition, which must be fairly high for Emirates in the UK. It certainly helps when expanding any business and launching a new route is just that.

Quoting EmiratesUK (Reply 13):The only "small" issue is EDI is only 40miles from GLA, but I'm also very much aware that most people that live in EDI hate the thought of going to GLA.

Ture they may be only 40 miles apart but it takes over probably an hour and a half to go from central Edinburgh and to get onto the M8 (which is always busy now) and then get through Glasgow (again can be very very busy at some times of the day) to then get out to paisley to get to GLA.
True again that EK probably do a Limo service for people from Edinburgh but thats only for biz class (i do recall that its only 2 class from GLA). for people going from edinburgh to get through to GLA and then check in there and wait at least an hour (probably more like 2) when you can probably fly to LHR or LGW to connect and still take the same time and you then dont have a long car journey when you go/get back

Quoting CopySouthwest (Reply 19):Of course with such a strong presence comes brand recognition, which must be fairly high for Emirates in the UK. It certainly helps when expanding any business and launching a new route is just that.

Indeed, in the UK itself Emirates sponsors Arsenal FC (Even named their new stadium the Emirates stadium), have sponsored the new ATC tower at NCL after themselves, have previously sponsored Chelsea, and theres probably others that I've forgotten

When you hear the noise of the Tartan Army Boys, we'll be coming down the road!

Referees! But then they must have realised the infamous chant that the referee's a banker (or some similar-sounding word) and by default, they might have thought by sponsoring the ref, they're sponsoring a banker.

25 ScottishLaddie
: It was 2x daily last summer and the flights were always busy, so it can't be that much of a surprise?

26 LHR777
: Well, it's a surprise to me because A/I didn't know that CO flew EDI-EWR 2x daily last summer and B/I'm not Scottish and don't live in Scotland and h

27 ScottishLaddie
: Ok, I wasn't having a go at you, I was just curious as to what you found so surprising about it. But A) you do now, and B) you don't have to be Scott

28 EICVD
: DUB must be on the EK radar. Someone needs to compete with EY from here.

29 Lh121gla
: Let's see what happens at GLA first with EK before we speculate on NCL's expansion. If EK's UK expansion history is anything to go by, GLA is due for

30 LHR777
: ...but it helps when it comes to knowing the local market. Anyway, no offense taken.

31 Nighthawk
: To an outsider with no local knowledge it is kind of surprising - EDI is much smaller than BHX, yet has a twice daily service. However when you take

32 Sketty222
: I have a friend who is a dispatcher/ dispatch trainer at NCL and he had mentioned that EK had sent in a 777 before. I'll have to have words with him